Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to the construction of needles and similar instruments which are designed to enter a person's skin and to an improved needle and hypodermic syringe construction having a retractable protective sheathing protecting a catheter-ejecting needle.
This invention relates to a hypodermic syringe that can be designed as a disposable, multi-use or special-purpose syringe. Such hypodermic syringes can be used to take blood or other fluids from a subject or to inject medications or the like into a subject.
The particular nature of newly discovered infectious diseases which have no known cure or are difficult to treat, such as AIDS, where infection may be transferred via blood, bodily secretions or portions of tissue from the patient to others, including the treating physician or medical aids or nursing staff, makes procedures with medical instruments, particularly with hypodermic syringes, very dangerous with such patients. This focus of hazard is also present when substances dangerous in themselves are to be applied by means of a hypodermic syringe or needle. This is always the case when procedures are carried out in laboratories or in industry with substances dangerous to health or otherwise hazardous, such as radioactive materials.